Pennsylvania

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MarkWest to Expand/Build NGL Plants on New Agreements
February 1, 2012February 1, 2012

MarkWest Energy Partners, a major midstream player in the Marcellus and Utica Shales, just announced major expansion plans that will add an additional 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) of natural gas processing capacity which includes natural gas liquids (NGLs). Most of the new capacity will come from expansion of its Majorsville, WV plant. The expansion is made possible by new long-term agreements MarkWest signed with CONSOL Energy, Noble Energy and Range Resources to process NGLs.

MarkWest also announced they will build two new processing plants in Ohio’s Utica Shale—in Harrison and Monroe counties.

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Commodity Price | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Range’s Wet Gas Drilling Location & Dry Gas Drilling Timeline
January 31, 2012January 31, 2012

The talk coming from the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale is that they will scale back drilling activities in the dry (methane only) portions of the Marcellus Shale play and instead focus on the wet (liquids-rich) portion.

Ever wonder where, exactly, the liquids-rich area can be found? We now know where it is for Range Resources, one of the largest drillers in Pennsylvania. We also have an estimate of how long drilling in the dry gas portion of the Marcellus may be pushed back for Range due to low prices for natural gas.

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Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | Utica Shale | West Virginia

Just What are Natural Gas Liquids Anyway?
January 31, 2012January 31, 2012

Increasingly, you will read on MDN and in press accounts about natural gas liquids (NGLs), and how major energy companies are now focused on drilling in the “liquids-rich” portion of the Marcellus and Utica Shales. The geography of where NGLs are found is typically western Pennsylvania, the West Virginia panhandle and eastern Ohio. But, just what are NGLs anyway? A helpful article on The Motley Fool website provides an excellent summary:

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Bradford County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Inergy | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Sullivan County

PA Landowners Fight MARC 1 Pipeline Eminent Domain
January 31, 2012January 31, 2012

Pipelines are a necessary part of drilling for and transporting shale gas. But they can also be one of the most contentious parts—especially when the government confers the power of eminent domain to a pipeline company who then can force landowners to accept the pipeline, weakening their bargaining position. A recent example is the MARC 1 in northeast Pennsylvania, a key piece of infrastructure for the Marcellus Shale. The MARC 1 is a high-pressure 30 inch steel pipeline that will connect to major interstate pipelines and to a gas storage facility in southern New York state.

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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA DEP Debuts New Website for Easy Marcellus Drilling Info
January 30, 2012January 30, 2012

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and their Office of Oil and Gas Management released a new website two weeks ago that makes it easier for the public to to access Marcellus Shale drilling permit records, drilling dates, inspections and enforcement information.

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Accidents | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot Letter to EPA: You Need to Rethink Dimock Decision
January 27, 2012January 27, 2012

Cabot Oil & Gas President & CEO Dan Dinges sent a letter yesterday to federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson about the EPA’s sudden change of plans concerning the situation in Dimock, PA (the full letter is embedded below). The upshot of the letter? You need to rethink your recent decision to interfere in Dimock.

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Accidents | Atlas Energy | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

PA DEP Sides with Homeowner Against Atlas in Well Water Issue
January 26, 2012January 26, 2012

In 2008, a homeowner located near gas wells drilled in Westmoreland County, PA by Atlas Energy says his well water turned muddy immediately after drilling was done. At the time, Atlas told him to stop drinking the water and supplied him with a water buffalo, making fresh water deliveries ever since. That is, until two weeks ago when Atlas says that after re-testing the water is now safe to drink, so they ended the water deliveries. The homeowner disagrees and the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is siding with the homeowner in this case.

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

Ohio vs. West Virginia in the Cracker Plant Sweepstakes
January 26, 2012January 26, 2012

West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio wait on pins and needles for Shell to announce which state they have chosen as a site to build a new $1.5-$2.0 billion ethane cracker plant, each of them looking for an edge to ensure their state is selected. WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is flying to Houston this week to meet with representatives of Shell to make a personal pitch that West Virginia should be that place, with a promise of no property taxes on the plant for 25 years if they do so. Thing is, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has already been to Houston to pitch his state—two months ago. Does that give Ohio an edge?

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA DEP Wants to Use Acid Mine Drainage for Fracking Water
January 25, 2012January 25, 2012

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is floating the idea of using a portion of the 300 million gallons of acid mine drainage that flows each and every day from abandoned coal mines in that state as a source of water for Marcellus Shale gas fracking.

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Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

McKeesport Settles Lawsuit for Treating Fracking Wastewater
January 25, 2012January 25, 2012

A lawsuit against the City of McKeesport, PA (near Pittsburgh) for treating fracking wastewater has been settled. McKeesport was hauled into federal court last year by two activist anti-drilling organizations—Clean Water Action and Three Rivers Waterkeeper—to force the McKeesport municipal sewage treatment plant to not accept fracking wastewater for treatment at the plant (read the background in this MDN story).

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Accidents | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

EPA Starts Water Deliveries in Dimock, PA
January 23, 2012January 23, 2012

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is getting itself involved in the ongoing situation in Dimock, PA by delivering water to four households that were affected by methane migration (see MDN’s recent Weekly Update for our view on EPA sticking its nose in). After the EPA told these same families two months ago their water was safe, they reversed course and now say they want to run some water tests themselves, and in the meantime they’ll deliver water to four of eleven families who have refused the Pennsylvania DEP’s settlement of the matter.

The EPA promised water to these same families a few weeks ago and reneged within 24 hours. This time they kept their promise.

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Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania

PA Town Buys NG-Powered Recycling Truck, Will Save $8K/Year
January 23, 2012January 23, 2012

Plains Township, located near Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, PA, has just become the first municipality in northeastern PA to purchase a recycling truck powered by Marcellus Shale natural gas. Plains has also installed a new natural gas filling station at the town garage.

Is there a natural gas-powered vehicle in your town’s future? With natural gas at $1.50 per gallon vs. diesel fuel at $4 per gallon, just maybe.

Read More “PA Town Buys NG-Powered Recycling Truck, Will Save $8K/Year”
Accidents | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

EPA to Start Water Deliveries in Dimock, PA – Pinky Swear
January 20, 2012January 20, 2012

The flakey federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues its interference in Dimock, PA. Yesterday they announced (once again) they would start water deliveries to homes in the Dimock area—this time the commitment is to four homes. Recall that they made the same promise two weeks ago, then rescinded their promise within 24 hours (see this MDN story for their broken promise and a Dimock backgrounder). This time they’re going to do it, pinky swear promise. That is…unless they decide not to do it.

PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Krancer has warned the EPA to not try and pull a “Pavillion” in Dimock, referring to the sloppy research the EPA has done in Pavillion, Wyoming and their cheeky attempt to try and tie fracking to groundwater contamination, even though the drilling in Pavillion is not shale drilling (see this MDN story).

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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Susquehanna County | Williams | Wyoming County (PA)

Williams Springville Gathering Pipeline Goes Operational
January 20, 2012January 20, 2012

The Williams Springville natural gas gathering pipeline in Susquehanna County, PA has just gone operational. From a Williams press release issued yesterday:

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania

Passenger Increase at WB/Scranton Airport from Gas Drilling
January 20, 2012January 20, 2012

There are many positive economic effects from shale gas drilling on nearby communities. Hotels and motels are some of the first to feel the effects, and restaurants. Grocery stores see an increase, as well as stores that sell clothes and shoes and other supplies. Short-line railroads also see a pickup in business from hauling materials, especially sand.

You can also add airports to the list of those organization that see a positive impact from shale gas drilling. The latest example: the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport has seen an uptick in passengers in the past year, due to Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Gov. Responds to PennFuture Criticism of Marcellus Bills
January 19, 2012January 19, 2012

On Tuesday, the anti-drilling Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) released a report detailing the problems (from their perspective) with PA Senate Bill 1100 and PA House Bill 1950 which are nearing passage (a copy of the PennFuture report is embedded below). PennFuture’s CEO and president, Jan Jarrett, called on the legislature and Gov. Tom Corbett to throw out the existing bills and instead introduce new, stand alone bills to consider drilling issues separately.

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